Service members earn prestigious German military badge

By Sgt. 1st Class Ryan Bickel
DLIFLC

Sixteen service members assigned to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California, and two service members in local reserve units earned the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. German Army Colonel Peter Frank awarded the badges following the DLIFLC’s Commandant’s Run July 24. (Photo by Patrick Bray, DLIFLC Public Affairs)

MONTEREY, Calif. – Sixteen service members assigned to the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, Presidio of Monterey, California, and two service members in local reserve units earned the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. German Army Colonel Peter Frank awarded the badges following the DLIFLC’s Commandant’s Run July 24.

Participants tested for the proficiency badge July 13 to 16 at Old Fort Ord in Seaside, California, with help from six German Army and Air Force officers. Eighteen of the 21 personnel who tried out qualified, with eight service members earning the gold badge and 10 earning the silver badge.

The German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency is one of several hundred foreign awards approved for wear on U.S. military uniforms. This was the first time DLIFLC conducted qualification events to earn the proficiency badge.

First Lt. Joy Palmer, DLIFLC executive officer, tests her marksmanship at the Laguna Seca Shooting Range in Salinas, California. Palmer is one of the service members who earned the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency awarded July 24. (Photo by DLIFLC)

“This was a good opportunity to get out into the field and do things I don’t get to do on a daily basis,” said 1st. Lt. Joy Palmer, DLIFLC executive officer. “I also enjoyed working with the German officers whom I just met from the Naval Postgraduate school.”

Palmer is one of the recipients of the gold badge.

“It’s an honor to be able to earn this award. I’ll always wear it with pride,” said Palmer.

To qualify, participants are tested in their physical prowess, marksmanship skills, first aid, and knowledge of nuclear, biological and chemical protective gear.

Service members don their nuclear, biological and chemical protective gear at Old Fort Ord in Seaside, California, as part of testing for the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency awarded July 24. (Photo by DLIFLC)

A 100 meter swim, basic fitness test and a ruck march tested physical fitness. Participants swam while wearing their combat uniform in under four minutes without assistance. This was followed by treading water while removing the uniform. The basic fitness test consisted of three timed events with averaged scores. This included a shuttle run, flexed arm hang keeping their chin above the pull-up bar, and a 1000 meter run.

The following day, service members completed a nine or 12 kilometer ruck march in under 90 or 120 minutes respectively based on their qualifying scores in the fitness test up to that point. After completion of the ruck march, service members had to pass a first aid test and a nuclear, biological and chemical protective gear test.

Service members take a break with their German counterparts during testing for the German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency. German Army Colonel Peter Frank awarded the badges following the DLIFLC’s Commandant’s Run July 24. (Photo by DLIFLC)

The qualifications concluded with pistol marksmanship at the Laguna Seca Shooting Range in Salinas, California.